Plants and Clean Air

Go Green When You Remodel Your Home

Good Earth Pl;ant Company makes sustainability a way of life.
Plenty of people put off home improvement and remodeling projects over the last few years due to America’s Great Recession. Get ready for a new look in a lot of homes – maybe even your own. Several major industry studies predict a big jump in remodeling activity. The Joint Center for Housing Students of Harvard University projects a trend for home improvement and repair expenses to reach eight percent by 2017, nearly double the historic average, based on its own model it calls the “Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity” or LIRA. And who are we to argue with Harvard? The website HomeAdvisor and the National Association of Home Builders reports also agree with the Harvard outlook.… Read More

Breathe Easier With These Top Air Purifying Plants

Our most popular blog post of all time describes the many benefits of indoor plants in the workplace. It makes me happy when I see people interested in this topic and educating themselves on the myriad of benefits that indoor plants provide to their human companions beyond just looking pretty. Many of these proven benefits can be traced back to one of the original studies done by NASA in conjunction with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America in 1989, which wanted to learn the most effective “house-plants” which might help purify the air their astronauts must breathe during extended missions at the International Space Station, and eventually on trips to Mars and beyond.… Read More

Nature’s Answers: Cockroaches to the Rescue!

This super robotic roach is grabbing headlines around the world. It's a perfect example of the power of biomimicry to solve our greatest challenges. Photo: Courtesy UC Berkeley
Nobody loves cockroaches, except another cockroach. But you have to admire how tough they are. We joke about roaches being able to survive a nuclear blast. Who wouldn’t consider this the ultimate survival skill? Scientists at the University of California Berkeley’s Biomimetic Millisystems Laboratory made news this week with reports about their work with the X2-VelociRoACH, a robotic cockroach designed for its ability to nimbly navigate difficult terrain. These robots could be outfitted with small cameras and GPS to help locate victims in collapsed buildings after earthquakes and in other similar situations too dangerous to send in people or search dogs.… Read More

Good Earth Plants New Year’s Resolution for 2016: Take A Breath

Are you thinking about your New Year’s Resolution for 2016? You are in good company. Forty five percent of all Americans make at least one resolution. If you’re struggling with your resolution, blame the Babylonians. Four thousand years ago, they made promises to their gods hoping to win their favor in the coming year. Their most common pledge: to get debt free. Today, the most common resolutions have to do with health: losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking, and managing stress (source: Marist University poll). Only half of us are still keeping our resolution six months later.… Read More

What’s More Toxic Than Bacon? Find Out Monday, Nov 16 on San Diego 6 Morning News

You might need to worry less about what you are eating, and more about what you're breathing.
Just a few weeks ago, all of us who love our bacon got some bad news. Researchers report consuming processed meats including bacon increase your risk of certain kinds of cancer. There were a lot of people freaking out at the idea of saying goodbye to their bacon cheeseburgers and bacon doughnuts. Another study about health risks in our lives hit the news the same week and it didn’t get half as much attention.  I’m here to change this by getting the word out here on my Good Earth Plants blog. It turns out your office is ruining your brain. More specifically, it’s the toxins in the office air affecting your brain’s ability to process thoughts.… Read More